The Golden Needle Flower Season in Hualien Kicks Off in August!

The picturesque Liushitou Mountain is as beautiful as a painting. Known as the place with the most European charm, it attracts large crowds of visitors every golden needle flower season to enjoy the European-style mountain views and seas of golden needle blossoms. Golden needle flowers, often referred to as “beauties of the day” or “forget-your-worries flowers,” come in a variety of poses, with their bright yellow hues being particularly eye-catching. In the early morning, the golden needle buds are closed, but once the sun rises, they bloom cheerfully, offering different charms at different times of the day.

 

The name “Liushitou” (Sixty Stone Mountain) is rather unique and may naturally bring to mind images of stones. One theory suggests the mountain got its name because of the many rocks found there; another says it’s because the annual income of the mountain residents in the early days was only sixty dan (a traditional unit of weight). While Taitung’s Golden Needle Mountain features upright peaks, Liushitou is particularly rocky, with gentler terrain and a slightly larger area, resembling an enlarged garden bonsai, famed for its great beauty.

Liushitou stands at an altitude of about 800 meters. From the topmost Wangyou Pavilion (Forget-Your-Worries Pavilion), the panoramic view is vast — you can gaze over the valley streams, fields, and settlements, and even catch a sunrise, with the beautiful scenery resembling a layered Swiss-style painting. The golden needle flower seas that dot the nearby slopes and distant valleys are like vibrant orange-yellow, luxurious carpets spread across the mountain forests, green fields, and rooftops. Occasionally, you might spot “little” farmers wearing floral straw hats, bent over picking golden needle flowers, while “little” cars and “little” people wind along the white concrete farm roads. This scene makes you feel as if you’ve stepped into the land of Lilliput from Gulliver’s Travels. Though everything seems smaller in scale, it allows you to take in all the beautiful views.

For a long time, this place has attracted countless photographers who visit year after year to capture the enchanting beauty of the golden needle flowers through their lenses. Another highlight of Liushitou is its pavilions named after aliases of the golden needle flower. Therefore, besides Wangyou Pavilion, each pavilion offers a completely different view. You can capture all the diverse beauties of Liushitou in your cherished memories. Now entering August, the golden needle flowers are in full bloom, with the period from mid to late August being when they are at their most resplendent. “Golden carpets spread o’er Liushitou’s face, gold and green leaves vie in grace. Waves of bloom in streams unfold, golden scenes of the season told.” This poem captures the beauty of Liushitou.

 

During the golden needle flower season, make a beautiful summer rendezvous with millions of golden needle blossoms. In addition to admiring the gorgeous seas of golden needle flowers, visitors can also savor healthy, natural, eco-friendly sulfur-free golden needle specialty meals, embarking on a deep flower-appreciation and local cuisine journey.